Things are about to get a little more festive in the world of Sims. Electronic Arts this week announced that the Sims 3 Seasons expansion pack is now available for pre-order.

"Let your Sims swim the ocean on a hot summer day, bob for apples in the autumn leaves, test their snowboarding skill on the half pipe, or welcome spring showers with a walk in the rain and a colorful umbrella," EA said.

For the first time, the characters can explore previously unavailable pieces of the virtual world, like a swim in the ocean or kicking a soccer ball, all while building skills that make your Sim a more well-rounded pixelated human.

Just as your Sims have become a part of your family, they can celebrate Christmas with you and yours, carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating, or even pucker up at the spring festival's kissing booth.

Along with changing outdoor weather, the expansion pack brings the seasons inside, with new recipes for pumpkin pie or home décor that fits the mood, including a tanning booth for the summer or house lights during the holidays.

Sims can also be newly styled to stay warm with snow gear, dry with raincoats, or just plain silly with Halloween costumes.

Fans who pre-order the $39.99 game will receive the limited-edition exclusive ice lounge community lot  a social club that can be dropped anywhere in the Sims 3 world, and is open year round.

Cool things down in the Sims world with the ice lounge's ice dining table and chairs, coffee table, sofa, and loveseat, or allow the Sims to entertain in style with an ice bar, stools, and pub table.

"The ice lounge also includes architectural elements to add a subtle touch of style to your Sims' buildings," the game page said. Install an ice column, double-door arch, chandelier, or wall sconce light to add "some chilly flare."

Stephanie began as a PCMag reporter in May 2012. She moved to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in journalism and mass communications.
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